Recidivism, which is the rate at which ex-offenders return to jail, is growing exponentially across the country. The United States incarcerates more people, both in numbers and per capita, than any other nation. Not even China, with a questionable human rights track record, a billion people, and an oppressive regime imprisoning thousands of dissidents, has more prisoners. At any given moment over 2 million people are in prison and jail in the U.S. The national recidivism rate is at 70%; the system does not work. The incarcerated population of the United States is increasing annually, and the upward cycle of prison recidivism must be halted.
About FOCUS
When prisoners leave the jail, whether it is a complete release or a release to probation or a halfway house, they leave with exactly what they had when they were arrested. This means that if someone were arrested in June in a pair of shorts and sandals, and if they have no family or friends to supply them, they may leave in December in shorts and sandals, and a bus token. This is the situation of material needs The majority of offenders have both material and social needs. The Boulder County jail cannot provide extensive case management services. For example, a person may need help with securing housing, employment, food, clothing, transportation, and medication. If they are directly released, they are on their own. These services are often available in Boulder County, but putting a network of help together is daunting, as these services are conducted through separate agencies. The process of trying to make it all work while finding employment, making probation and mental health appointments, attending mandated classes, tracking down one's children, and staying off alcohol and drugs is depressing and often overwhelming. In Boulder County, over 10,600 people are in the jail each year and one out of every two offenders returns to jail. Commander Bill Black of the Boulder County Jail has said, "We have a revolving door. A major cause of re-offending is the need for a hot meal and a place to sleep."
The FOCUS program was started to bring some encouragement, support, friendliness and a reference point into these situations; to fill the gaps and help establish and maintain this basic network, while working with the offender to improve and stabilize his/her situation. Our offender clients are often emotionally scarred individuals who have solved life challenges by relying on alcohol and drugs.
There are a few specific ministry programs which work with offenders, but there are no non-ministerial programs such as FOCUS. The fact that FOCUS is an interfaith and beyond collaboration, just speaks to the fact that many people are serving in this way because of the private inspiration of their spiritual path.
History
Restoring the Soul: Faith and Community Partnerships is a nonprofit organization founded by the executive directors of a number of service agencies and faith leaders in Boulder County. The organization's primary goal is to encourage and support collaborations between congregations and agencies to provide the volunteers necessary for programs to thrive. In the autumn of 2004 it came to the attention of the Advisory Board that there was an important gap in Boulder County social services, which was assistance to offenders transitioning out of the Boulder County Jail back into society. Members of the board – Bill Grant of Lifebridge Christian Church, Tania Leontov of the Buddhist Coalition, Joan Nagel of Congregation Bonai Shalom and Bill Karelis of the Shambhala Prison Community, as well as several other people dedicated to working in this field, decided to address this issue.
The result was the formation of an interfaith plus program named FOCUS, (Facilitating Offenders Seeking Uplifting Situations). The program was conceived of as a secular offender reentry mentoring program which would work with Boulder County Jail inmates.
In October 2004, the program was introduced to Sheriff Joe Pelle. His response was that it filled a crucial gap in the services for prisoners. He signed a Memorandum of Understanding supporting the program. The first FOCUS mentor began work in April 2005. For the first two years only a small number of mentors were trained and in active matches as the program and the jail worked out challenges in protocols and procedures. By 2008 there were over a dozen mentors in the field and clients were graduating from the program.
FOCUS has operated on an infinitesimal budget, with a part-time paid director and volunteers. The Advisory Board, professional consultants, mentors and others were all, and remain volunteers. In 2005, FOCUS received a Colorado Compassion Initiative financial award to further its capacity to do this work. It received a modest Wells Fargo award in 2005 and 2008 to provide for emergency needs for inmates on release. The program also received the Community Foundation's prestigious NOVA Award in 2007 for civic engagement. In 2008 and 2009 the Boulder County Commissioners funded the program.
Organization
FOCUS is tax exempt under the (501) (c) (3) of its fiscal agent the Volunteer Connection (VC), which provides financial oversight. The VC bookkeeper provides monthly Income and Expense statements and FOCUS is also included in the VC’s Annual Audit. Our Executive Director presents an update on the program’s activities to the VC Board of Directors biannually.
There are several other oversight groups involved in the FOCUS program. As the founding organization, Restoring the Soul: Faith and Community Partnerships’ Advisory Board, Link to Restores Organization, reviews the general activities of the program. This relationship not only serves to keep FOCUS’ activities aligned with its mission, but also serves as a resource for enrolling volunteer mentors.
FOCUS’ Advisory Board, consisting of congregation representatives and criminal justice professionals, makes the policy decisions for the program. The Advisory Board meets quarterly and its members are also available for consultation on an ongoing basis.
The Review Board, whose membership consists of criminal justice professionals and psychotherapists, meets every other month to review the mentor matches. All mentors attend these meetings which provide a venue in which mentors can exchange their experiences and questions, then receive insights into their mentoring situations from professionals in the field and from each other. A current offender client also attends a portion of the meeting with his/her mentor so that we all can share and appreciate the offender’s perspective.
All these board members are volunteers. We are grateful for their dedication and generosity. We are in the process of developing and increasing Board membership. We are looking for interested and appropriate citizens, service agency representatives and people involved in business and finance who may be interested in working as advisors for the program.
If you are interesting in becoming a FOCUS Advisory Board Member, please complete the form below (PDF or Word document available) and either email to us at
or print, complete, and mail to us at:
mandated classes, tracking down one's children, and staying off alcohol and drugs is depressing and often overwhelming. In Boulder County, over 10,600 people are in the jail each year and one out of every two offenders returns to jail. Commander Bill Black of the Boulder County Jail has said, "We have a revolving door. A major cause of re-offending is the need for a hot meal and a place to sleep."
